FARMINGTON HILLS,
Mich. -
Although several members of Miami University's hockey team have already claimed
awards and honors this week, the RedHawks could be taking home a lot more at
the CCHA Awards March 22 as Miami had one person named a finalist for each of
the six top individual honors presented by the Central Collegiate Hockey
Association, as the finalists were announced Thursday. The winners of each of
the six major individual awards will be revealed at the CCHA Awards Show.

Miami
was the only team to claim one of the three finalist spots for each individual
award. Western Michigan was second with a finalist for four of the six honors.
Sophomore forward Austin Czarnik is up for CCHA Player of the Year and Best
Defensive Forward while his freshman linemate, Riley Barber, is a finalist for
CCHA Rookie of the Year. Freshman Matthew Caito is a finalist for Best
Offensive Defenseman while his defensive partner at Miami, senior captain
Steven Spinell, is one of three nominees for Best Defensive Defenseman. Head
coach Enrico Blasi is a finalist for CCHA Coach of the Year, as well.

Czarnik
is up against Ohio State senior goaltender Brady Hjelle and Notre Dame junior
forward Anders Lee for Player of the Year. A RedHawk has claimed the honor two
of the last three years with winning Cody Reichard in 2010 and Andy Miele in
2011 while a Miamian has won the award four times in program history. For Best
Defensive Forward, Czarnik is joined by Lee and Western Michigan senior Dane
Walters. The last RedHawk to win that award was Tommy Wingels in 2010.

Czarnik
(Washington, Mich.), who was tabbed First-Team All-CCHA Wednesday, has played
in all 36 games while posting 33 points, which ties for fourth in the CCHA. The
5-foot-9 shifty forward was second on the team with 11 goals while his
team-high 22 assists rank third in the league. He has six power play goals,
three short-handed goals, which ties for the NCAA lead, and two game-winners.
The 20-year-old has posted a +18 rating, which is third in the CCHA, and has 10
multi-point games this season, including three multi-goal outings.

Czarnik
was named CCHA Player of the Month for October and also collected CCHA
Postgame® Offensive Player of the Week after a five-point weekend vs. Alaska
Nov. 30-Dec. 1. In league play only, he tied for fourth with 26 points while
his 18 helpers tied for second. He added eight goals in CCHA action, including
one game-winner and all three shorties. Czarnik also blocked 29 shots on the
year while playing on Miami's top penalty kill unit.

Joining
Barber as finalists for Rookie of the Year are Michigan State goaltender Jake
Hildebrand and Michigan defenseman Jacob Trouba. No Miami player has ever
captured CCHA Rookie of the Year honors.

Barber (Livonia,
Mich.), who was a unanimous All-Rookie Team selection on Monday and earned
First-Team All-CCHA Wednesday, led the RedHawks
offensively, finishing with team highs of 36 points and 15 goals in 34 games. His
36 points lead all CCHA players and are the most among all rookies nationally.
His 15 goals rank sixth in the CCHA while he added 21 assists, which ties for
fourth in the league and is first among all NCAA freshmen. The skilled forward
was named CCHA Gongshow® Rookie of the Week four times, more than any other
freshman, and was tabbed CCHA Gongshow® Rookie of the Month twice (October and
November), including Hockey Commissioners' Association National Rookie of the
Month in October.

Barber
totaled a team-high 11 multi-point games on the year and had a point in 19 of
28 league games. In league play, the Capitals prospect posted 30 points, which
was second among CCHA players, as was his 1.07 points per game average. His 12
goals in league play tied for fourth in the league while his 18 assists in conference
action were tied for second in the CCHA. Barber has three game-winning goals on
the year and a +13 rating, as well.

All
three finalists for Best Offensive Defenseman are freshmen, as joining Caito up
for the award are Western Michigan's Kenney Morrison and Trouba. The last
RedHawk to claim the honor was current New Jersey Devil Andy Greene, who won it
back-to-back in 2005 and 2006.

Caito (Coto de Caza, Calif.) is the lone Miami
defenseman to play in all 36 games this year. He totaled 18 points on the
season, which ties for seventh in the CCHA among defensemen. Caito scored five
goals during the year, all in league play, and dished out 13 assists. He earned
CCHA Gladiator® Defenseman of the Week three times, more than any other
defenseman. Of his 18 points, 16 came in league play. In addition, Caito leads
the team with 63 blocked shots this year and carries a +11 rating. He was named
to the Three Rivers Classic All-Tournament Team earlier this season, as well.

Along with Spinell, the other finalists for Best
Defensive Defenseman are WMU's Dan DeKeyser, who won the award last year as a
sophomore, and Bowling Green senior Bobby Shea. The last Miamian to win the
honor was Will Weber in 2010.

Spinell (Vernon Hills, Ill.) is second on the
team with 60 blocked shots, which is 11th in the league. He boasts a
+13 rating, which ties for second on the squad, while anchoring the second-best
defense in the country, statistically. The captain has totaled 10 points,
including nine assists, while playing in 34 games this year, missing just two
to injury. He notched his lone goal of the year Feb. 15 on the power play in a
win over Notre Dame. His 10 points are second among Miami's defensemen while
his 48 penalty minutes are third among RedHawks. Spinell was tabbed to the
Three Rivers Classic All-Tournament Team earlier this season, as well.

Joining Blasi as finalists for CCHA Coach of the
Year are Western Michigan head man Andy Murray and Ohio State coach Mark
Osiecki. Blasi, in his 14th year at the helm of his alma mater, has
been named CCHA Coach of the Year four times previously, last earning the honor
in 2010.

Blasi and his staff guided the RedHawks to just
the program's fourth ever CCHA regular-season championship in 2012-13. Miami was
picked to finish fifth in the preseason media poll and fourth in the preseason
coaches' poll. The RedHawks lost 12 players from their 2011-12 squad, including
10 seniors and two NHL prospects, and brought in 13 newcomers this year,
including 11 freshmen. Of the 26 men on the roster this season, 18 are freshmen
or sophomores.

The CCHA Awards kick off CCHA Championship Weekend on
Friday, March 22. The banquet, an Academy Awards-style event with music videos
and highlights, is held at historic Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit. The event
begins with a social hour at 6 p.m. The world premiere of the Celebrating the
Legacy DVD starts at 7 p.m., followed by the Awards Program at 7:30 p.m. Awards
Show tickets are $25 and can be purchased by
calling the CCHA at (248) 888-0600 or at the door the day of the event.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTSAustin Czarnik, Miami
Brady Hjelle, Ohio State
Anders Lee, Notre Dame

COACH OF THE YEAR FINALISTSEnrico Blasi, Miami
Andy Murray, Western Michigan
Mark Osiecki, Ohio State